5-Day Tokyo Itinerary

Tokyo rewards travelers who cluster by neighborhood instead of zig-zagging across the city. This 5-day plan groups days geographically — Shibuya/Shinjuku, Asakusa/Ueno, and a Hakone day trip — so you spend time exploring, not commuting.

5-day Tokyo itinerary

1. Day 1
   Shibuya & Shinjuku

   the crossing, Yoyogi Park, Omoide Yokocho at night.

2. Day 2
   Asakusa & Ueno

   Senso-ji at opening, Ueno museums, Yanaka old town.

3. Day 3
   Harajuku & Aoyama

   Meiji Shrine, Takeshita St, Nezu Museum garden.

4. Day 4
   Day trip to Hakone

   open-air museum, onsen, Mt Fuji views.

5. Day 5
   Tsukiji outer market, teamLab, Ginza, last-night izakaya

Where to stay: neighborhoods that make sense

• Shinjukuneon chaos, endless izakayas in Omoide Yokocho and great transit links, best base for first-timers
• Shibuyathe famous crossing plus backstreet bars in Nonbei Yokocho, young and loud, ideal for nightlife
• Asakusaold Tokyo around Senso-ji temple, cheaper hotels and a calmer morning atmosphere
• Shimokitazawavintage shops, tiny cafes and live music venues, go for an afternoon of aimless wandering

What to eat in Tokyo

• Ramen at a ticket-machine shoporder via vending machine, a full bowl runs 7-9 EUR, Ichiran or any busy local spot works
• Sushi at Tsukiji Outer Marketfresh nigiri sets from about 15 EUR, go before 10am to beat the queues
• Conveyor-belt sushi (kaitenzushi)plates from 1 EUR each, chains like Sushiro or Kura are cheap and reliable
• Konbini food7-Eleven onigiri around 1 EUR and egg sando about 2 EUR, genuinely good and a real local habit
• Izakaya dinnersmall plates plus beer in Ebisu or Shinjuku, expect 20-25 EUR per person

Mistakes most first-timers make

• Planning too many neighborhoods per dayTokyo is huge, cluster sights by area or you lose hours on trains
• Not getting a Suica or Pasmo IC card on arrivalbuying single tickets for every ride wastes time and money
• Trying to tipit is not done in Japan and can cause awkward refusals, just pay the bill as printed
• Buying a JR Pass for a Tokyo-only tripit only pays off with long-distance shinkansen travel, use the IC card instead

Worth leaving the city for

• Kamakura (1 hour by train)the Great Buddha, hillside temples and a laid-back beach town feel
• Hakone (1.5 hours)onsen baths, the open-air sculpture museum and Mount Fuji views on clear days
• Nikko (2 hours)the lavish Toshogu shrine complex set in cedar forest, a full-day UNESCO trip

Getting around

From Narita take the Skyliner (about 17 EUR, 45 min) or from Haneda the monorail (about 4 EUR, 20 min) into the city. Get a Suica card and use the metro and JR lines - most rides cost 1.10-2 EUR and trains stop around midnight.

Why this plan won't send you to a closed café

Almawander is an AI travel planner that remembers you across trips - it learns your pace, budget, diet and taste, checks places are still open, and bakes in your passport's visa rules.